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Letter to mum
Ursula Nafula
Catherine Groenewald
English
Mother was finishing packing her clothes in a small bag.
As she went out the door, she hugged me and said, "Bye for now."
"Where are you going, mum?" I looked up at her as I asked.
I started to cry wanting to follow her but dad lifted me up on his shoulder.
Dad said, "Your mother is going to the hospital to have a baby."
When I heard "baby" I stopped crying and looked at him. "Why is she going to get the baby from the hospital?" I asked him.
Dad sat me on a small chair and said, "I will tell you why she is going to get the baby from the hospital."
I listened keenly to him as he explained although I didn't quite understand why she wasn't having the baby at home. When dad finished explaining, I asked, "Will she still love me when she comes back with the other baby?"
My dad held me close and said, "We will always love you."
"Can I write a letter to her while she is there?" I asked dad.
That evening, I began to write a letter to mum.
I tore a paper from my exercise book and began to write.
"Mummy, mummy, dad said that you have gone to bring another baby."
Please hurry up and return home.
I want you to bring a baby girl, so I can play with her when she grows up.
You can bring two so one can be mine.
I am waiting for you here outside our house.
I folded my letter so I could give it to my father to bring it to mum. When I woke up the following morning, the letter was gone.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Letter to mum
Author - Ursula Nafula
Illustration - Catherine Groenewald
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs
© African Storybook Initiative 2014
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
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  • Translations and adaptations
    • Brief Aan Ma
      Afrikaans (Translation)
    • Waiting for baby
      English (Adaptation)
    • Silindele umntwana
      isiNdebele (Translation)
    • Incwadi Kamama
      isiZulu (Translation)
    • Silindele umntwana wethu
      isiZulu (Translation)
    • Barua kwa Mama
      Kiswahili (Translation)
    • Kumsubiri mtoto
      Kiswahili (Translation)
    • Embalugha ya mughange
      Lulamoogi (Translation)
    • Ebbaluwa ya'maama
      Lusoga (Translation)
    • Tcgãyas Áís Koe Ko Síí Sa
      Naro (Translation)
    • Ho lebeletswe lesea
      Sesotho (South Africa) (Translation)
    • Kulindza kutalwa kwemntfwana
      Siswati (Translation)
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